Train-indicator.



I! FERRARI.

mmmwm APPLIGATIQE' FILED FEB. 18, 1907 918E235. Patented Apr. 13 1909.

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TRAIN INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED F3218, 190?.

Tc an whomit ma/y concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT orrIon-i I rasoumo FER ARI, or FALL-RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR or ONE-TENTH TO SEVE- RINO TOLETTI- AND ONE-TENTH TO FRANCESCO PAOLO c1221, son; or FALL Riven,

nassnonusn'rrs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented April 13, 1909.

application filed February 1a, 1907. Serial No. erases.

' Be it knownthat 1,: PASQUINO FERRARI,

v subject ofthe King of Italy, residing at Fall River, inthe county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts; have invented certain newand useful Im 'rovements in Traindndicators, of which t e following is a specification.-

This invention relates to means foriautom'atically indicating either the departure or :10 ing on a fixed schedule. .A- clock movement the arrival of trains or public carriers operatis the controlling means and adapted to 0 en" and close certain electr c c rcuits,

' w erebyindicator mechanisms are actuated eitherto expose orwithdraw from observation placards or other schedule indicating matten. Electricity is the controlling medium and energizes certain electro-magnets with the result that the matter to be disin successive order as the time passes.

:cluded in the mechanism as a part thereof is played-is either brought to view'or' hidden an automatic'switch'for throwing oneseries of electro-magnets out of circuit and bringing another set of electro-magnets into circuit corresponding to the time from m dnight to noonand from noonrto' midnight.

Incarrying out the invention, a clock movement of any make, design or pattern- .130-

may be employed and the hour and minute hands are utilized as circuit closing means to cause the indicator cards elther to appear or disappear as may be determined upon.

is tobe had to the following description. and

' For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to-acguirea knowledge-of the details of constructlon and the means for efiecting the result, reference ac'com anying drawings.

[Wh e the invention may difierent forms and conditions by changes in 1 the structure minor details without departing from the spirit or essential ieatures thereof, still vthe preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, in

"which:

bodying-the invention. showing the circuits, the ante-merldian indi Figure 1 1s a front view of an indicator emcators being in established circuits to be operated upon closing and breaking thesaid circuits, and the -app'earing circuit being closed. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the post meridian indicators in established circuits to. be operatedupon by closing and breaking disappearing of the indicator cards.

be adapted Fig. 2 is a diagram said circuits by closing means.

Corresponding and like parts are referred the time actuated circuit to in the following description and indicated a small wheel 4, which travels overaseries of electrically insulated contacts which are electrically connected with the opposite pole of the battery or generator, there and closed. A ring 5 is secured to the front or dial of the clock movement and ispro- 'vided with a series of electric contacts 6 electrically insulated from one another; The" yenahlin the several circuits to be successively opened contacts 6 make electric connection with the I minute hand 3 through the wheel or rotary contact 4. The circuits established through the-minute hand and the contacts 6 eiiect A second ring 7 concentric with the ring'5 is likewise attached to the front or dial of the clock movement and is provided with a series of electric contacts ,8 dielectrically separated. The several circuits established through the hour hand 2 and electric contacts 8 efiect appearance of the indicator cards so as to display either the departure or the arrival of trains or other public carriers.

In a conspicuous position is, placed the schedule, the same consisting of'a suitable framework or case 9 and a series of indicators 10 which may consist of slats, cards, or

the like, bearing time or other matter to be 5 exposed so as to indicate to the "puhliceithcr the time of departure or arrival o trains or the like. These indicators arev electrically controlled being exposed at proper intervals and withdrawn from view at such other times as may be determined upon to avoid confusion. Two electro-magnets 11 and 1-2' are provided for each indicator and other armatures are connected to opposite ends of a rocking bar 13 with which the indicator 1-0 is connected; \Vhen the minute hand reaches the required point in its travel it makes electric connection witha contact 6 and closes the' circuit through the electro-magnet 11 which becoming energized attracts its armadrawal of the indicator.

ture and rocks the bar 13 to sheet withl lhen the hour hand reaches a given point in its travel it closes a circuit through one of the contacts 8 and an electro magnet L? which being vitalized attracts its armature and causes the bar 13 to rock with the result that an indicator 10 isbrought in position to expose the matter imprinted or otherwise inscribed thereon. It is to be understood that the cooperating electro-magnets 11 and 12 of each indicator are included in circuits whose contacts appear upon the concentric series of electric contacts 6 and 8'. All of the circuits include the hour and minute hands 2 and 3 oi the clock movement. The dials or clock movements usually represent characters from 1 from midnight to noon and from noon to midnight. It will thus be understood that in each day the hour hand makes two complete revolutions and passes twice over each character. i

To designate the ante-meridian schedules from the post-meridian schedules, it is necessary to interpose a switch in the series of circuitsand which switch is automatically actuated at noon and. midnight of each day to throw the ante-meridian schedules out of circuit and the post-meridian schedules into circuit, and vice versa, as the time passes and the'daysare corn and die. The switch devised for-the purpose consists of a rock shaft 14 provided with a series of circuit closers 15 and a series of contacts 16 and 17 The circuit closers 15 consist of spaced members and while they are attached to the shaft-14 so as to rock therewith, they are electrically insulated from one another. Upon rocking the.

shaft 14 in one direction, one member of the circuit closers '15 will engage with the contacts 17 and close the circuits through the ante-meridian indicators and break the circuits through the post meridian indicators.

When the shaft 14 is rocked in the opposite a.

direction, the reverse takes place, 0., the circuits through the ante-meridian indicators are broken and the circuits through the postmeridian indicators established. It is to be understood that the operation of the switch inone direction or the other closes the circuits in a sense to place either the antemeridian or the post-meridian indicatorsin condition for operation as the respectivecir cuits are closed by the hour and the minute hands. The switch simply throws one set or the other of the indicators into or out of operative position. When the hour and minute hands close the circuits upon the contacts oi the circular series 6 and 8 of the clock movement, the electroemagnets corresponding to such circuits as are closed by the hour and minute hands are alone energized.

The switch is electrically controlled by.

t l corresponding with the twelve hours are use means of the clock movement, electromagnets 18 and 19 being provided and having their armatures connected to a rocking bar 20 made fast to the rock shaft 14, whereby the latter moves in one direction or the other according to which of the electro-magnets 18 or 19 is energized. It is to be understood that the switch and the operating parts generally are suitably housed or incased; The helix of the'electrc magnet 18 has-one end connected by a wire 22 to a contact 23, the opposite end of said helix being connected by a wire 24 to a wire 25 which is electrically connectedwith one pole of-battery or generator 21 and which wire also connects with one end of the helix 0% the electro-magnet19. A wire 26 connects the opposite end of the 116.213: of the electromagnet 19 with an electric contact 27. circuit closing switch 28 ismounted so as to make electric connection with either oneor the other of the contacts 23 or 27 and is connected by means of a wire 29 with a con tact 8 opposite to the twelfth hour of the clock movement. A trip 30 of yoke form is fast to the shaft 14 and rocks therewith and is adapted to engage the switch 28 to throw the same to make electric connection with either one or the other of the contacts 23' and 27. When the hour hand 2 reaches the noon or midnight hour and makes momento break the circuit through the electromagnet energized an instant before and to establish the circuit through the other electro magnet, whereby said circuit may be closed upon the next revolution of the hour hand when it reaches the contact 8 corresponding to the twelfth hour of the dial. The circuit established through one or the other of the electro-magnets 18 and 19 is of momentary duration sufiicient to effect va rocking of the shaft 14 to break the circuit through the electro magnet energized-and to establish the circuitthrough the other electro magnet, whereby said circuit may be closed at the next revolution of the hour hand withthe result that the post meridian indicators are thrown out of o eration and the antemeridian indicators operation and vice 'versa. tion it is to be understood that the clock movement is of the kindin which the hour hand works mtermittently, and that the contact piece is located between two sucrought into In this conned,

tary electric connection with the contact cessive positions of the hour hand, so thatthe contact is made while the hour hand is moving from its last position on the left of the contact, to the first position-on the right of the contact,

The circuits through the electro-magnets 11 and 12 are the same bothfor theantemeridian and the post-meridianindicators;

One end of the helix of the electro-magnet 12 I is connected by a wire 30 with a contact 17 and the other end of said helix isconnected is connected by wire 33 :with a contact '8.

by. wire 32 with th'ezwire 25 which as here tofore described-is in" electric connection with one pole oi the battery orcurrent generator 21.

The circuit closer switch The-minute, hand 3 is connected by wire 34 with one pole of the battery or generator 21.

A wire 35 connects one of the contacts6 with one end ofthe helix of the electro magnet 11, the other end of said helix being connected by wire 36 with the wire 32; hence wit-hone pole of the battery or generator 21 through the wire 25, when the minute hand makes elec tric' connection with the contact from which. the wire leads, the circuit is as follows: from the minute hand through wire 35-to electro-magnet 11, thence. through wire 36 to wire 32,wire 25, battery 21 and wire 34 back to the minute hand. The electrojmagnet 11 becoming energized, causes the bar 13 to rock, thereby'withdrawing the indicator so that it may not .be read through the observation opening of the cabinet-9.

It is to be understood that the circuit through the electro-magnet 1-2 is broken some time prior to the closing of the circuit through the electro magnet 11 of the same pairQ The .electro magnets of the post meridian indicators have one -end of their helixes connected by wire 37 with the wire '32 and to one pole of the battery 21 through magnet 12 is wire 25. One end of the helix .of the electroconnected by wire 38 to a contact 16. The other end of the helix of the electro-m'agnet 11 is connected by wire 39 with a contact 6. When the switch is "thrown to. establish the circuits of the .post

meridianindicators, the aplpearing circuit is as follows starting at: t e agar hand 2, through contact 8-, wire 33, switch 15, contact 16, wire 38, electro-magnet 12, wires 37 32 and 25, battery 21 and wire 34, back to hour hand'2. The disappearing circuit is as "follows: starting at the minute hand through contact 6, wire 39, electro-magnet 11, wires 37, 32 and 25, battery 2]. and wire 34 back to minute hand 3.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an indicator for trains or other schedules, the combination of a series of indicators, a cloclrmovement, a pair. of electromagnets for each indicator and electric cirswitch for throwing one set of electric ap-.

paratus out of action and the other set into action according as the clock movement is registering the hours beforeor after meridian time. I

. 3. In an indicator for trains or like schedules the combination of two series of lndicators, a clock movement, electric apparatus fortheindicators' of. the two 861163, I

electric circuits adapted to he opened and closed by the said clock movement and a switch for throwing one set of electric ap-.

paratus out of action and the other set into action according as the clock movement is registering the hours before or after meridian time, and means for automatically operating said switch and likewise controlled by the said clockmovement.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. PASQUINO FERRARI. [L. s.] Witnesses:

ALFRED VIONI,

Fnanonsoo PAOLO Grzzr- 

